PWSA offers lead tests to Pittsburgh residents for free, but not everyone is biting

Thousands of Pittsburghers have relied on free kits to check for lead in their tap water, most finding the dangerous metal either undetectable or below a key threshold for action.

Still, figures shared by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority show participation and test results under the public health program vary widely among neighborhoods. While Highland Park, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill and Greenfield have logged hundreds of results apiece since winter 2016, portions of Homewood, the North Side and the Hill District have struggled to approach even a fraction of that.

At the Our Water Campaign, a coalition that’s gone door to door with sign-ups for test kits, organizer Aly Shaw said awareness is improving. She agreed PWSA could do more to spread the word.